Turning Ideas Into Words: Some Business Communication Basics

Communicating is inevitable in business, and in most endeavors in this social world. Even in school, business communication is often offered as part of the requirements to earn a business degree. The reality, however, is that not everyone in business are able to communicate their ideas clearly. When this happens in various areas of the business organization, efficiencies are affected and problems often arise. In the board room, on the other hand, not being able to present ideas in a manner that is convincing enough could get projects turned down before the executives even get to see the entire picture. There is no need to further justify the importance of being able to communicate ideas effectively. The best ideas are of no value if they are not properly understood by those who need to use them. Turning ideas into words should not be all that complicated. There just a few basics to consider in oral and written business communication:

1. Keep it simple. What do you really want to say? Get to the point and use simple language. Being verbose or overly flowery with your words could cloud your message and cause misinterpretation. Or, your audience might simply get tired and stop listening to you or reading your business report. Say things in the simplest, albeit interesting, manner that you possibly can.

2. Know your audience. Always know who you are talking to. Speak in the language and tone that they can understand best. If you are talking to executives, you do not necessarily have to go all formal and highfalutin. You have to keep in mind, however, that you need to discuss your ideas in terms of what appeals to them. A proposed process improvement, for example, should be discussed in terms of how it could result in more profits.

3. Use graphics in business communication if necessary. Some people are more visual. Giving verbal step-by-step instructions might not be as effective as a printed guide with pictures on each step. Employee announcements would also be more interesting when they are done in a visually appealing manner. Product presentations and project proposals often require photos and graphs to help the audience understand some ideas.